Immigration Bill Prompts Some Menacing Responses

WASHINGTON, June 27 — The threat came in the weekend mail.

The recipient was Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, who has been a leading advocate of the proposed legislation for changing the immigration system. His offices in Washington and across Florida have received thousands of angry messages in recent weeks, but nothing as alarming as that letter he received at his home.

“I’ll turn it over to Capitol police, and we’ll go from there,” said Mr. Martinez, who declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat. . .

‘Modest increase’ in calls crashes Senate phones

Many Senate office phones were down Thursday morning due to a “modest increase in call volume,” according to an e-mail from the Senate assistant sergeant at arms and the chief information officer.

Opponents of the bipartisan immigration reform bill that stalled in the Senate after a 46-53 cloture vote this morning said foes of the bill had flooded Senate offices with phone calls.

“The Verizon telephone switch[board] serving the Senate is experiencing problems that are being exacerbated by this morning’s modest increase in call volume,” says the e-mail, which was sent at 9:45 a.m. . .

Hilton reveals little in post-jail interview

Paris Hilton says she doesn’t have a drinking problem, has never taken drugs and doesn’t believe she deserved to be behind bars.

“I think the crime did not fit the punishment,” the hotel heiress told CNN’s Larry King in a taped interview that aired Wednesday night.

Hilton, whose life has become a virtual pop opera, began a quest for image rehabilitation barely 24 hours after she was released from jail in Los Angeles. She had served three weeks for driving on a suspended license following an earlier DUI offense. . .